Three deer on the IIT Madras campus died in a suspected case of anthrax. Samples were to be collected from carcasses and blood soaked sand were to be taken to TANUVAS for confirmatory diagnosis, the Animal Husbandry Department said on Friday.
The department was informed by the Chennai Wildlife Warden that three spotted deer had died on campus and the in–house veterinarian suspected anthrax, an official release said.
As a precaution, officials have been advised to dispose the carcasses according to codal procedures. Necropsy is not to be conducted on the animals and the carcasses were to be in a pit not less than 6-8 feet deep.
“Regarding the role of dogs in the disease, it is clarified that dogs are not known carriers of anthrax organisms and do not play any role in its transmission,” it said. Steps will be taken after confirmatory tests on the samples, it said.
According to estimates, there are over 300 deer, including spotted deer and blackbuck.
Alert issued
Meanwhile, the IIT Madras has issued a circular to all members of faculty, staff, students and residents on the campus to inform the control room 044-22579999/8280 about animals in distress.
The authorities have asked residents “not to go near any wild animals, spotted deer, blackbuck, monkey, mongoose, civet cat, monitor lizard and dogs, not feed them or touch them under any circumstance.”
Officials of the Forest Department and the Animal Husbandry Department are expected to get confirmatory test results on Monday. According to them, two deer were found dead with symptoms of anthrax on Wednesday. On Thursday, two more animals died. But no death was reported on Friday, officials said.
"The blood smear has tested positive in TANUVAS. It is unusual. Such cases have not been reported before. We have sounded an alert. We are not sure of the source. It could have been in remnant soil," said an official.
